WO2008020146A1

WO2008020146A1 - Protected article particularly against theft and counterfeiting and method of protection of said article

Info

Publication number: WO2008020146A1
Application number: PCT/FR2007/051814
Authority: WO
Inventors: Julien Gillot; Matthieu Ginestet
Original assignee: Decathlon
Priority date: 2006-08-14
Filing date: 2007-08-14
Publication date: 2008-02-21
Also published as: FR2904891A1; FR2904891B1; EP2052435A1

Abstract

A purpose of the present invention is a protected article (1, 7) particularly against theft and counterfeiting, particularly a textile article (7), comprising a radiofrequency-type security label (2), characterized in that said security label (2) is unremovably secured to one of the faces (3) of said article (1) by means of a thermoplastic attachment film (4) covering said label (2) and glued to said face (3), particularly by fusible printing, on an adhesion zone (5) surrounding said label (2). A purpose of the invention is also a method of protection, particularly against theft and counterfeiting, of an article 91), particularly a textile article.

Description

ARTICLE PROTECTED, IN PARTICULAR AGAINST THEFT AND COUNTERFEITING AND METHOD OF PROTECTING SUCH ARTICLE

The present invention is in the technical field of protected articles, especially against theft and counterfeiting.

In order to protect an article, in particular a textile article, against theft and counterfeiting, it is known to place on it a temporary security device. This is for example the case when one wishes to protect the article in question at its place of manufacture, during its transport, on its place of storage and / or at its place of sale. Once the item is sold, the security feature is removed from the item.

A security device can also be permanently placed for the cases mentioned above and when it is desired to establish a traceability of the article by storing information in said device such as reference or size.

These devices are generally in the form of bars or disks, also called "hard tags", which are bulky and therefore annoying when the protected article requires to be tried before being purchased, which is the case of textile articles or shoes. The bars in a ferromagnetic alloy also have the drawbacks of rusting in contact with moisture and sometimes piercing the flexible articles to which they are applied, especially in the case of textile articles. There are also devices including radiofrequency type, in the form of security labels, thin and flexible, often fixed by stitching or glued on the article to be protected. The security labels thus fixed, especially when it comes to textile articles, are irritating to the skin of the user and uncomfortable. When a security tag is placed in the lining of a garment, it degrades the garment in question by using said liner when these tags are detected, although they create virtually no extra thickness, they are easy to remove. Finally, they are not resistant to washing and are easily detached. In order to meet the aforementioned drawbacks, the subject of the present invention is a protected article, in particular against theft and counterfeiting, in particular a textile article, comprising a radio frequency-type security system comprising an electronic chip and an antenna.

By security label, it also includes a label serving as a tool for the traceability of said article as described above. Said tags operate according to different identification systems:

- "RFID" (Radio Frequency Identification), this is a system of identification by radio frequencies, preferably in the range of Ultra High Frequencies (RFID UHF) and High Frequencies (RFID HF), for storing, write and retrieve remote information about the protected article,

- RFEAS (Radio Frequency Electronic Article Surveillance), it is also a radio frequency identification system based on electronic signals to detect the protected article for example when passing between two security gates, RF ID and RF EAS technologies can be combined.

Typically, said article comprises a security label containing at least the electronic chip of the security system and a thermoplastic fixing film, covering said label and bonded to said face, in particular by heat-sealing, on a gluing zone surrounding said label, so that said label is immovably affixed to one of the faces of said article.

Advantageously, the thermoplastic fixing film also acts as a protective film of the security label against damage due to mechanical deformations and / or moisture and liquids, for example during washing of the article. Since the label is immovably affixed to the protected article, it can not be removed without damaging the face of the article to which the fixing film is adhered or leaving at least a portion of the film fixing on the article at least according to said peripheral bonding area.

The security label being locked in a pocket formed on the one hand by the face of the protected article and on the other hand by the fixing film, it does not undergo abrasion, does not irritate the skin of the user since she is not in contact directly with it, and is not easily detectable since invisible to the naked eye.

The fixing film has a melting temperature preferably in the range [90 ^° C .; 165 ° C], to implement it by heat-sealing without degrading the face of the article on which it is glued, or said security label.

Advantageously, said fixing film being thermoplastic, it is not necessary to apply glue on one of its faces, a simple hot pressure is sufficient to stick it on the article. The security tag according to the present invention is implemented with identification systems of the RFEAS and / or RFID type.

Preferably, the security tag is fixed on the back side of said protected article, that is to say on one of the faces which is not visible when the article is used or on which said fixing film is concealed. The fixing film may comprise one or two sticky faces, preferably heat-sealing, depending on the location of the article chosen for disposing said security label. Thus, the fixing film can be glued on both sides to the protected article.

The fixing film may be transparent or colored in order to conceal it in the protected article.

In an alternative embodiment, the security label is coated on at least one of its faces with an impervious protective film, preferably interposed between the label and the article, said impermeable protective film being different from the thermoplastic film. of fixation. Said impervious protective film is disposed on the security label during its manufacture and thus facilitates its handling. The protective film is preferably in contact with the article to be protected, being then the opposite of the thermoplastic fixing film.

Said protective film preferably has a thickness less than one-tenth of a millimeter; it is not strong enough mechanically to preserve the safety label of the stresses due to friction, deformation or punching. The waterproof film of protection allows perfect sealing of said label on its uncoated side with a thermoplastic fixing film.

The security tag may also be coated on both sides of said impermeable protective film. In a variant, the impervious protective film serves as a substrate for the antenna of the security system.

Security tags operating with radio waves include an electronic chip, including RFID tags, and an antenna, usually wound or printed. The size of the electronic chip can be reduced to that of a point. The antenna, often composed of copper, is deposited on a substrate, for example by ultrasound.

According to the method of manufacture of the security labels, the impervious protective film is used as a substrate on which the antenna is deposited in particular by means of ultrasound. Preferably, the dimensions of said substrate are adjusted so as to receive only the antenna and the electronic chip.

In a variant, said bonding zone has a width equal to or greater than 2 mm, and the area of the thermopiastic fixing film is preferably 1.1 to 2 times the area of said security label. These intervals make it possible to ensure effective adhesion of the thermoplastic fixing film to the face of the protected article and to minimize the size of the fixing film relative to that of the security label, in particular so that the fixing film is discrete. on said face of the article.

In a variant, the thermoplastic fixing film is also bonded to the security label or to the impervious protective film.

The security tag is thus totally immobilized, and is subjected to the mechanical stresses applied to the fixing film and to the part of the face of the article on which it is affixed, the fixing film and said face thus improve their role of mechanical reinforcement. In a variant, the thermoplastic fixing film is a heat-sealing film based on polyurethane, polyester or a copolymer of polyurethane and polyester. These materials are known for their resistance to abrasion, punching and their good elastic recovery following deformation. They also have good resistance to hydrolysis and thus durably protect the security label against water infiltration and moisture. In an alternative embodiment, the assembly formed by said label, optionally the impermeable protective film, and the thermoplastic superimposed fixing film has a thickness in the range [0.2; 0.55] mm.

The security labels known from the state of the art are thin, preferably they have a thickness of between 0.1 mm and 0.25 mm. Advantageously, the thermoplastic fixing film by its flexibility and its small thickness, preferably in the range [0,1; 0.3 mm], associated with said security label, does not change the drape and does not stiffen the protected article, especially when it is a textile article. Thus, said assembly is not detectable to the touch, even under a logo or a marking label, and does not affect the comfort of the user.

In an alternative embodiment, the thermoplastic fixing film has a Shore A hardness between 78 and 85.

This value of Shore hardness is a good compromise between the rigidity and the flexibility of the fixing film in order to protect said security label from punching and not to partially stiffen the face of the protected article on which the fixing film is bonded.

The present invention also relates to a method of protection, particularly against theft and counterfeiting, of an article, in particular a textile article, using a radio frequency-type security system with an electronic chip and an antenna, comprising typically the following steps: a. placing a security tag including at least the electronic chip of the security system, on one of the faces of said article, b. completely covering said label with a thermoplastic fixing film, the dimensions of which are greater than those of said security label, so as to leave on said film a peripheral zone surrounding the label, at least the back side of said peripheral zone being fusible, c. thermocollating the thermoplastic fixing film on the article by applying a hot pressure on the assembly formed by the superposition of said film and the article at least according to the peripheral zone.

In an alternative embodiment, the back side of the thermoplastic film being entirely heat-sealing, the hot pressure is applied over the entire surface of the assembly formed by the superposition of the thermoplastic fixing film, the security label and the article. In a variant, at least one of the faces of the security label is coated, prior to its placement on the article, with an impervious protective film, preferably serving as a substrate for the antenna of the security system. .

In an alternative embodiment, said method comprises a subsequent step of attaching to the article a complementary part, in particular a marking label over the assembly formed by the superposition of the security label and the thermoplastic fixing film. and possibly an impermeable protective film, said part having dimensions greater than said assembly so as to mask it.

The present invention will be better understood on reading the description of two exemplary embodiments of protected article, cited by way of non-limiting example and illustrated by the following figures which are appended hereto:

- Figure 1 is a partial top view of a first example of a protected article comprising a security label attached to one of its faces by a thermoplastic fixing film; FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of the protected article according to FIG. 1;

- Figure 3 is a schematic representation of an example of a textile article having a security tag.

The protected article 1, especially against theft and counterfeiting, is a textile article. Article 1 comprises a security system 2 comprising a security tag 2 of the RFEAS and / or RFID type, that is to say that it operates with a system identification and / or collection, writing and storage of data on the protected article 1 by radio waves.

In this first example in FIG. 2, the security label 2 is coated with an impermeable protective polymer film 6 along its face 2a turned towards the article 1. This protective film 6 is thus disposed during the production of the security label 2 to protect it from possible damage and facilitate its subsequent handling. According to the method of manufacture, the protective film 6 also serves as a support for depositing, in particular by ultrasound, the antenna of the label 2. The security tag 2 could also be coated on its two sides of the film of 6. In this specific example, the impervious protective film 6 serves as a substrate on which the antenna of the security system has been formed. In addition, the dimensions of the impervious protective film 6 are delimited by the location necessary to receive the antenna and possibly the electronic chip. In the present invention, the impervious protective film 6 is preferably directly in contact with the face 3 of the article 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The impervious protective film 6 has a thickness of less than 0.1 mm .

The thermoplastic fixing film 4, covering the security label 2, is adhered to the face 3 of the protected article 1. The face 3 may correspond to the reverse side or the face of the article 1, it is chosen according to the most appropriate location so that the label 2 and the fixing film 4 are confused in the article 1 or are not visible directly. The fixing film 4 has dimensions greater than those of the security label 2, so as to completely cover said label 2 and to arrange on the film 4 a peripheral zone 5 surrounding the label 2 serving to fix the film on the face 3 of the article 1. Preferably, the width d of the peripheral zone 5 is greater than 2 mm and the surface S0 of the fixing film 6 is about 1.1 times to 2 times the surface S1 of the label In this example, the entire backside 4b of the fixing film 4 is heat-sealing. However, the back side 4b of the fixing film 4 could be heat-bonding only according to the peripheral zone 5. Finally, a slight heat pressure is applied to the fixing film 4, whose back side 4b softens and adheres on the face 2b of the security label 2 and on the face 3 of the article 1 according to the peripheral zone 5.

The thermoplastic fixing film 4 thus acts both as a means of fixing the security label 2 and the film 6 on the article 1 and means of protection against mechanical deformations of the label 2. In addition, the film 4 being chosen by nature to be impermeable to water, the assembly formed of the fixing film 4, the security label 2 and the protective film 6 and superimposed resistant to washing. The thermoplastic fixing film 4 is preferably based on polyurethane, polyester or a copolymer of polyester and polyurethane, or one of these polymers or copolymers. These polymers are known for their mechanical strength. The Shore hardness of the fixing film 4 is preferably about 83 Shore A. This value of hardness is a good compromise between the puncture resistance and the flexibility of the film 4 so that it does not stiffen, even partially, the face 3 of Article 1 and is not easily detectable or inconvenient to the user.

The security tag 2 is immovably affixed to the protected article 1.

For the case where the desired protection is temporary, it is possible to deactivate the said label. The fixing film 6 adheres firmly to the protected article 1, it is not possible to peel it without leaving at least portions of said film at least in the peripheral zone 5.

The security tag 2 associated with the impervious protective film has a thickness preferably in the range [0.1 mm; 0.25 mm]. The security tag 2 is preferably a square of dimensions 35 mm x

35 mm.

The thickness of the thermoplastic fixing film is preferably in the range [0,1; 0.3] mm.

In the second example according to the present invention illustrated in FIG. 3, a liner 7 comprises a security label 8 placed on the back of the neckline under a sewn marking label 9. Said marking label 9 has dimensions greater than those of the assembly formed by the security label 8, possibly the impermeable protective film, and the thermoplastic fixing film not shown so as to conceal said assembly.

Claims

1. Protected article (1,7), against theft and counterfeiting, in particular textile article (7), comprising a security system (2) of the radiofrequency type comprising an electronic chip and an antenna, characterized in that it comprises a security tag (2) containing at least the electronic chip of the security system, and a thermoplastic fixing film covering said tag (2) and adhered to said face (3), in particular by heat-sealing, on a bonding zone (5). ) surrounding said label (2), so that said label (2) is immovably attached to one of the faces (3) of said article (1).

2. Article (1,7) according to claim 1, characterized in that the security label (2) is coated on at least one of its faces (2a) with an impervious protective film (6), preferably interposed between the label and the article, said impermeable protective film being different from the thermoplastic fixing film.

3. Article according to claim 2, characterized in that the impervious protective film serves as a substrate for the antenna of the security system.

4. Article (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said bonding zone (5) has a width equal to or greater than 2 mm, and in that the surface (So) of the thermoplastic film fixing device (4) is preferably 1.1 to 2 times the area (S ₁ ) of said security label (2).

5. Article (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that the thermoplastic fixing film (4) is also glued on the security label (2) or optionally on the impervious film of protection (6) .

6. Article (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said thermoplastic fixing film (4) is a heat-sealing film based on polyurethane, polyester or a copolymer of polyurethane and polyester.

7. Article (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the assembly formed by the superposition of said label (2) and the thermoplastic fixing film (4) and optionally the impermeable film of protection ( 6), has a thickness in the range [0.2; 0.55] mm.

8. Article (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the thermoplastic fixing film (4) has a shore hardness A between 78 and 85.

9. A method of protecting, against theft and counterfeiting, an article (1), in particular a textile article, using a radiofrequency type security system with an electronic chip and an antenna, characterized in that that it includes the following steps: a. placing a security tag (2) comprising at least the electronic chip of the security system, on one of the faces (3) of said article, b. completely covering said label (2) with a thermoplastic fixing film (4), the dimensions of which are greater than those of said security label (2), so as to leave on said film (4) a peripheral zone (5) surrounding the label (2), at least the back side (4b) of said peripheral zone being fusible, c. heat-sealing the thermoplastic fixing film (4) on the article (2) by applying a hot pressure to the assembly formed by the superposition of said film (4) and of the article (2) at least according to the peripheral zone ( 5).

10. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that, the back side of the thermoplastic film (4) being entirely heat-bonding, the hot pressure is applied over the entire surface of the assembly formed by the superposition of the thermoplastic fixing film ( 4), the security label (2) and item (1).

11. Method according to any one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that at least one of the faces of the security label is coated, prior to its placement on the article, a waterproof protective film , preferably serving as a substrate for the antenna of the security system.

12. Method according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that it comprises a subsequent step of fixing on the article (1,7) a complementary piece (9), in particular a marking tag (9). on top of the assembly formed by the superposition of the security label (8) and the thermoplastic fixing film (4) and possibly an impermeable protective film (6), said part (9) having larger dimensions audit together to hide it.